A.J. Burnett realizes how much Yankees need him, feels confident he can rebound from poor season

A.J. Burnett believes the Yankees' failure to reach the World Series last season had a lot to do with his inconsistency - an issue he plans to rectify for the 2011 campaign. (Antonelli/News, Ron)

TAMPA - Leaning against a wall in a hallway outside the Yankee clubhouse, A.J. Burnett pantomimed using his foot to sweep away his 2010 troubles. "See ya," he said, smiling.

But Burnett, the often-enigmatic, sometimes-electrifying starter who some believe is the key to the Yankees' rotation, says he is clinging to one thing he learned last year: how much the Yanks need him.

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"I look back on it and I'm not saying A.J. Burnett is the reason we didn't win the World Series, nothing like that," Burnett said Monday. "But without being cocky and arrogant, I think if I would have pitched up to my par it would've been a lot smoother going into the postseason and we'd have had a lot better chance. I really felt, damn, they really could've used A.J. For the first time in my career, I really realized how much I meant to the team."

But, Burnett says, he does not feel pressure going into this season, when the Yankees have a rotation weakened by Andy Pettitte's retirement and the lack of significant outside upgrades. "Last year, if anything, opened my eyes to be me," said Burnett, who is entering the third year of a five-year, $82.5 million contract.

"I think in '09, people saw me. But last year, it wasn't me they saw. Just be yourself. I'm the one out there doing it. I've done it before. Pay a little more attention and focus a little more and realize you mean a lot to this team. You're not just a big contract, good stuff guy. You're a part of this."

Burnett, 34, was 10-15 last year with a career-worst 5.26 ERA, the highest ever of any Yankee who made at least 30 starts or threw 180 innings. He had an awful June, going 0-5 with an 11.35 ERA.

While some have theorized that Burnett's crash was caused in part by the 25-day absence of ex-pitching coach Dave Eiland, who was away from the team for personal reasons around that time, Burnett doesn't buy it.

"I know a lot of things were made of when Dave left and I crapped the bed," Burnett said. "I had a pretty good '08 without Dave. It ain't nobody's fault but A.J.'s. Dave being there or not, that's irrelevant, I think. No knock on Dave - he was great with me, we worked well together - but him going away wasn't the reason."

Burnett said he "let a lot of things escalate" and listened and tried to implement the multiple suggestions he was getting when he was struggling. "After a while, you have to do it yourself," Burnett said. "You can't listen to a million people and then try to change things. I've been pitching for 10 years and I have three bad starts and then try to change everything.

"But then again, you've got people around you who know the game so well - Tony (Pena), Skip (Joe Girardi), (Mike) Harkey, Dave, they're all helping me and you want the input. By the end of the day you're like, 'Dang, that's a lot. Is it really that complicated?' It can be."

So now Burnett is hoping to simplify things. When new pitching coach Larry Rothschild went to visit Burnett at the pitcher's Monkton, Md., home, they sat and talked about what they liked to do for fun for the first four hours they were together. "We had a good talk and it meant a lot to me that he took the time to come," Burnett said.

Burnett had started throwing the week before and Rothschild gave Burnett a few "techniques" to keep Burnett's lift leg settled.

"That's when I get in trouble, when that swings around," Burnett said. "I've gotten positive feedback. I threw with my brother, who I hadn't thrown with in a year and he said, 'What's going on, dude? You're not yanking it everywhere, like you usually do.' I said, 'Shut up! Don't say anything!'"

Burnett and his wife, Karen, traveled to a few concerts of a favorite band, Disturbed, over the winter and Burnett said he was amazed by the outpouring of support he got. "There are a lot of people in my corner that I would've never known," Burnett said. "Just a lot of people in A.J.'s corner that made me realize, 'Hey, you do mean something to this team. You're not just a money label that's out on the baseball field.'

"It kind of gave me more of an itch to come back. It was a good winter."